Crunching The Numbers: Martin Truex Jr.

Martin Truex Jr. and girlfriend Sherry Pollex celebrate a great victory at Pocono.

Standings: 4th

Points: 1,164

Bonus Points: 20

11.11% of total possible bonus points

Starts: 36Wins: 1Poles: 0DNFs: 2Top 5s: 8Top 10s: 22Top 15s: 28

Best Finish: 1st (Race 14: Axalta We Paint Winners 400 – Pocono)

Best Start: 2nd – 3 Times

Race 13: FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks – Dover

Race 22: Cheez-It 355– Watkins Glen

Race 33: Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 – Martinsville

Average Finish: 12.22 (12th best)

Average Start: 12.5 (11th best)

Laps Run: 10,272 (7th most)

98.53% of total possible season laps

Miles Driven: 13,514 (12th most)

97.77% of total possible miles

Laps Led: 567 (7th most)

5.44% of total possible season laps

Martin Truex Jr.’s Finishes

Martin Truex Jr. What can one say about this man’s season? It was fantastic on track. It was a roller coaster off track. It was a memorable season to say the least. While Truex Jr.’s girlfriend, Sherry Pollex, was fighting a battle no one would ever dream upon their worst enemy, he was fighting a battle on the track (though, not as meaningful as Sherry’s battle). Everything he did this season was for her. Every fight on track he had was all for her. 2015 was not about Martin but about Sherry and I’ll be damned if it wasn’t the season of Martin Truex Jr. as well.

On track, Martin Truex Jr. was superb; brilliant even – a season he will forever be looking back at. The season had not even officially begun yet and Truex Jr. was already showing his muscles at Daytona with a 2nd place finish in the Sprint Unlimited. Qualifying for the Daytona 500 also brought a fantastic finish and thus a top 10 starting position for the New Jersey native. The first 7 races of the season, Truex Jr. never finished worse than 9th and his average finish was 6.57. A small hiccup at Bristol week 8 was just that – a hiccup; what else can you expect for short track racing at the tightest track on the planet? But that did not damper the spirits of the 78 team, the little team that could out of Colorado as they got back to their top 10 finishing ways the following week. Then, perhaps, one of the most anticipated event (to date) of 2015 happened; Martin Truex Jr. (finally) found victory lane! For anyone who did not see this victory in the near future clearly has not been watching the amazing skills of this driver. Pocono, close to home, and Truex Jr. celebrated like there was no tomorrow. A home town win for a home town hero, and another victory for himself and his lovely girlfriend. I cannot imagine an upset driver in the garage area after that race, because that would mean that someone dislikes this incredibly likable person and couple. Not only was it a victory and (more or less) a spot in the Chase, it was a dominate victory, leading over a quarter of the race. Martin Truex Jr. and the 78 team were headed for greatness this season!

The next few weeks posed a few bumps in the road with back-to-back DNFs at Sonoma and Daytona. Just as their hiccup early in the season at Bristol, the team continued to fight and prepare themselves for the Chase, which was not that far away. Truex Jr. put together an amazing regular season; 1 victory, an average finish of 13.19 with 17 top 10 finishes. The momentum and drive this team has is seen every single week and nothing slowed them down as they entered the Chase. Entering the Chase, they were seen as an underdog. Being a single car organization tends to lean the critics to seeing them as under funded and thus not having the best equipment possible. But that is not the case one bit with this team; they are powerful, but no one wanted to admit it.

Just as he had done during the regular season, Martin Truex Jr. put together solid finishes in the Challenger Round, finishing no worst than 13th. While they Challenger Round might be the easiest of the 4 rounds of the Chase, you do not want to let your guard down – you want to treat every race as if it is the last race. His average finish of 10.67 was 5th best of the Chasers and more than enough to keep him chugging along. Enter the Contender Round, where Truex Jr. showed that he is a true contender for the championship this season. Wither another great set of finishes, his average finish of 8.33 was 6th best and more than enough to still keep his hopes alive. Enter the Eliminator Round, where 2 short tracks and 1 intermediate track await the Chase hopefuls. Just as he has done all Chase and all season long, Truex Jr. nails down top 15 finishes like it is easier than anything. He stays quiet and content with his underdogs status, and many people still do not believe he has what it takes to hang with the likes of a Jeff Gordon or Kevin Harvick, but yet again, he proves the haters wrong. With an average finish of 9.33, Truex Jr. barely makes his way into the final round and is 1 of 4 drivers with a title hope still alive. The competition was tough, but he never waivered and the team never gave up. The strength and determination from this team has gotten him his best shot at a championship and this team’s best shot as well.

Entering the Chase, he was the underdog. Entering Homestead, he is still the underdog. 1 of 4 drivers left standing; a 25% chance at winning a championship. What better way could an underdog finish his season than by being crowned the best driver of the season? Martin Truex Jr. had an average finish of 11.10 heading into the final race of the season, which was 3rd among the 4 chasers, but as everyone should know by now, never underestimate this driver and this team. As we know by now, his 4th place finish in the points means he did not win the championship, but his 12th place finish at Homestead was still a fantastic finish. He did not end the season where he was hoping to, but he cannot be upset with his overall season performance. His Chase average finish was 9.70, which was 3rd best of all Chasers. Every single finish was in the top 15, which only he and Jeff Gordon can say they accomplished. 2015 was an outstanding year for Martin Truex Jr. and the 78 crew. His super speedway performance was the best of everyone this season and his Intermediate performance was 5th best.

Martin Truex Jr.’s Finishes By Track Type

Type

Starts

Avg. Finish

Avg. Start

Wins

Top 5s

Top 10s

Top 15s

DNF

Intermediate

14

9.14

11.36

0

3

9

13

0

Restrictor Plate

4

14.50

27.00

0

1

3

3

1

Road Course

2

33.50

7.00

0

0

0

0

1

Short Track

10

14.90

9.70

0

0

5

7

0

Super Speedway

6

6.33

12.00

1

4

5

5

0

There is only room for improvement with this crew as they continue to do each season, and with 2016 bringing a new manufacturer to their camp, a few unknowns are going to be there. The only thing everyone should know is that Martin Truex Jr. is for real and he is an underdog no more. There are not enough words out there to express the awesomeness that Martin Truex Jr. has done in 2015, and I am very much looking forward to what this team can do in 2016. Congratulations Martin Truex Jr. on your fantastic performance this season!!!

Ashley Hobbs

I was born on the 9th of March in a year which you need not know. I was born and raised in the great state of New Jersey, but I now reside in Florida. Here is a bit about myself:

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About Ashley Hobbs

I was born on the 9th of March in a year which you need not know. I was born and raised in the great state of New Jersey, but I now reside in Florida. Here is a bit about myself:
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I hope you enjoy my segment, Crunching the Numbers, and getting insights into each weekend's NASCAR race!